


Not as great as something greater

by everAcclimating



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Flushed Romance | Matesprits, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everAcclimating/pseuds/everAcclimating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those who can't wed, plan.</p><p>(Karkat goes on a monologue about the importance of quadrants, and Dave actually listens.</p><p>Slight chaos and insecurity ensues.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not as great as something greater

**Author's Note:**

> The only real warning here is for bad movie choices.
> 
> Sorry if you like The Wedding Planner.

Karkat can't help but wonder why Dave has been so fucking accommodating lately. He's so suspicious by default that he can't help but try to find some ulterior motive in him and the thought picks at the corners of his mind, quiet but insistent. Maybe he should be more readily believing, though. They've had trouble in the past but things have been... good, lately. For Karkat the concept of things being 'good' seems more terrifying than it should be, but he can't truthfully say that he dislikes it, even to himself. It started with tolerating each other but now there was something quiet there, something comfortable, and it made Karkat _un_ comfortable to have to think about it.

(He tries to convince himself what he feels is pale, desperate for absolution, but it's not working. Of course it isn't.)

Something in him tenses when Dave seems to actually be paying attention to him. Arguably that in itself isn't rare but the fact that he's been talking about quadrants for what must have been fifteen minutes already while they watch _The Wedding Planner_ and Dave's eyes haven't glazed over and he hasn't told him to shut up is something that never happens, no one ever lets him just go on and on without complaining—

"Are you listening to me?" Karkat's trying not to sound too incredulous, but it's hard work. He manages, barely.

"Yeah, you had just finished explaining how pale works at long-winded length. Now you were gonna move on to flushed," there's a twang in Dave's voice that Karkat doesn't want to admit that he likes.

He also can't accept that answer wholesale even though it means he really has been listening. "Are you fucking with me? Is there some end-game joke? Some _ironic_ twist at the end where you really didn't fucking care at all? Because I can save my breath if there is." He wonders as he says it if this counts as pushing him away.

It probably does, but Dave seems unperturbed by it. His expression doesn't change, but he shrugs. "Nah. Just felt like listening. Keep going."

Okay. Okay? He's not going to look a gift hoofbeast in the mouth. Dave wants to listen. Karkat breathes, slow, before he goes back to talking. Trying to get him to understand quadrants is probably futile, but having a willing audience for once is nice. It's a validation he didn't realize he needed so desperately, and he can't help the creeping thoughts reminding him that it means more because it's _Dave_ providing the validation. It's embarrassing. Maybe he'll just drop dead before he keeps having these kind of thoughts like a pity-sick wiggler.

He's still talking, tying the lecture in with the movie to make it easier to understand, and Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey are kissing when Dave touches his hand. Touches it and holds onto it, head tipping aside enough so that it drops to Karkat's shoulder. His expression is still dead calm, unreadable.

Karkat almost hyperventilates.

"What—what the fuck are you doing," he starts, eyes wide as he shifts away, ears tilted down and tucked back like he's trying to protect himself from whatever's happening. "What is this," he's panicking, he can tell he is, and he isn't sure if this really has turned into some elaborate joke but Dave won't let go of his hand, turns toward him to look at him through those fucking stupid glasses. Karkat wishes he didn't appreciate the slightly impassive look they give him.

"Just relax," Dave says, and some part of Karkat withers away when he hears it. "Chill out, Karkat." Fuck, his voice is so good. Why is this happening to him? His tone's like he's soothing a wounded animal, but Karkat can't even be offended.

"Don't tell me to chill," Karkat snaps instinctively, regretting it. "We aren't moirails, it's not—" a breath. "Are we? Is that what's happening? Misguided moirallegiance?"

_pleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesayno_

"You don't have to be moirails to tell a dude to chill," Dave starts, quiet, and Karkat stares at him. "Besides, I don't think I was considering moirails."

"Oh. _Oh_. Yeah, sorry, I just—" he's babbling and he can't stop. Fuck. Fuck. "You're sure?" What is he doing. Fuck, he's so stupid.

Dave's quiet for a moment, then: "do moirails do this?" and he's kissing him.

Oh. Fuck.

Ohhhh fuck.

Something in Karkat chokes before he can kiss Dave back and he has to tip his head down because he's going to fucking leak out of his face and part of him is still ashamed. Dave almost shifts away but it's Karkat this time that grips his hand tight, doesn't let him move away.

"Don't," is all he says for a long moment.

Dave almost-but-not-quite sounds unsure of himself when he talks again, suddenly. He's not babbling like Karkat did, but it's quiet and his accent is slipping out more—"no, really, do they, because if they do, I can see how this might be interpreted like that, but it's not."

It's. Really cute.

Karkat tilts his head back up and surges forward before he loses his nerve. It's clumsy because he's trying to be careful, unaccustomed to needing to take into account human physiology and not wanting to hurt Dave with his teeth even though he wants to kiss him forever and when Dave makes a noise against his mouth that's little more than a slightly shaking breath Karkat thinks he could die happy.

He'd really rather stay like this though.

Finally, when they part, Karkat mumbles, "um." He doesn't know what to say. Still.

"If moirails do that then you've clearly left out some pretty valuable information in your hour and a half long monologue." Dave sounds wry.

He's still fucking baffled. "No," Karkat says, finally, "moirails don't usually do that."

"Well thank god," Dave says, "I didn't wanna be stuck in the moirailzone." Then he kisses Karkat again.

There's a way he does it that makes Karkat feel like he's trying to egg him on to be more careless with him but he can't bring himself to do it, instead continuing to keep his teeth in check, lips the only factor in the equation—though when Dave bites his lip with his stupid blunted human teeth Karkat's surprised that it feels so good. He gets overwhelmed pretty quickly though, emotionally, and has to pull away to sit with his head down again, eyes closed and hands in front of him.

But Dave's forehead's pressed to his and they're both just quiet, holding hands.

Karkat breathes, smiles soft and slow.

(Dave can see it through lenses and slitted eyes, decides he likes it.)


End file.
